Price vs. value point

I mostly bought stuff for the sale prices.
The receiver: Denon 4806 for 50% off list as a demo. $1,500.
Speakers: Canton CD300 two pair and CD360 three separate.
The CD300 retail for 2grand a pair.. I paid $700. a pair and $200 @ for the CD360's.
They would not have been my first choice of brands.. but at 60 to 70% off, on new stock in boxes.. from a local dealer.. what is to complain about!
The fact that they sound pretty good, is enough for me.
Along with the new Denon DVD5910 for $1,200. Hah hah hahhhhhaaaa.
(and don't email me asking where.. that was a one time blowout supersale...)

You will notice the difference as you move up in price.

Elizabeth makes a point that should be in big neon lights. Buying used maximizes your value-price ratio. Set your budget, and then buy used gear within that budget.

Finally, the answer to what offers the best value for the price is purely subjective and personal. I like to think the best value component is the one you keep long term, regardless of the price.

Welcome to the fringe.

Hang out here and start reading the HT forum to death...you'll learn quite a bit and you may also get a better idea of where you might want to start. I initially wanted to do some sort of surround sound getup but ended up stopping with a 2.1 system as music is more of a priority than the occasional gunshot/train etc scene in a movie...or surround music for that matter.

You can gradually "grow" a system over time and when you mention price vs value...it's really all relative however as has already been mentioned...much value is to be gained by buying used. But first...read read read...you'll learn quite a bit here and may end up with a system within your budget that is far better than what you might have hoped for.

Cheers

Good places to start are the mid priced used AV recievers and DVD players from Denon, Marantz and NAD. Buy from someone who has alot of good feedback. Call them up on the phone and if you get a good feeling from them, go for it. Speakers are little more difficult in that you need to match you room size, decor etc.. You are doing the right thing in asking questions. Good luck.

If you're going with the Orbs, anything more than a nice receiver is a waste of your money.